


Neon Horror Band-Aid

by SamCyberCat



Category: Free!
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-16
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2019-01-29 19:10:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12637365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamCyberCat/pseuds/SamCyberCat
Summary: When Ran and Hayato get engaged, Makoto worries that it might cause tension within his family, as his parents certainly haven't forgotten the brief fling that Makoto had with Hayato's brother, Kisumi, several years ago. Makoto wants to avoid giving them reason to worry, but as he comes back in contact with Kisumi, he fast learns that those old feelings are still there for both of them. So Makoto needs to make the right choice, for the sake of his family and for himself.





	Neon Horror Band-Aid

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Adora](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adora/gifts).



> Written for Adora as part of the 2017 Makoto Birthday Fanworks Exchange. Future fic where an older Ran & Hayato getting engaged causes Makoto to meet up with Kisumi again and rekindles an old flame that the two of them once shared together.

Makoto could see his parents putting on their best "we're trying to be supportive" faces. They'd practised those faces a lot over the years, so fortunately they had them down to a fine art at this point. But even so, the recent announcement had come as a surprise to everyone.

Ran and Hayato had gotten engaged.

It wasn't as if the relationship between the two of them itself had been a secret. Makoto lived in Tokyo now, but he visited home regularly and the twins were both always happy to update him on their lives, even now that they were adults. So Makoto knew that Ran had been seeing Hayato for some time because Ran herself had told him. But he didn't know how deep those feelings went or exactly how long they'd been together beyond her vague statement of “a while”.

Then today, upon Makoto getting back to Iwatobi to visit his parents, Ran had marched in and stated this new development, as if there was nothing that they could do about it now. And honestly, there wasn't. Ran was old enough to make her own choices, even if Makoto could tell that their parents privately wished that she wasn't.

But despite their parents' reservations, they made an effort for Ran. They congratulated her and hugged her, then Ren did the same and lastly, Makoto squeezed her tight and said that he wished them the best, because he honestly did.

“Hayato's a great guy,” said Makoto, “I'm sure that the two of you will be very happy together.”

“Well duh, of course he is or else I wouldn't be marrying him,” Ran replied, flicking Makoto on the nose, “Anyway, sorry that this is kind of a fly-by visit, but there's a lot to sort out for the party tonight and I wanted to make sure that you guys got the news from me before anyone else. Ren, you're coming to help me with the party!”

“What party?” Ren asked.

“Our engagement party, of course. What else do you think we'd be celebrating?” Ran laughed. She slung her arm around Ren's neck and then beamed across at the rest of her family, “We booked out that little venue across town. Doors open at seven, but if you turn up early, I might just be able to get you in.”

She winked at them, before tugging Ren towards the door.

“See you guys later!” Ran cheered.

“Yeah, see you, I guess...” mumbled Ren, who didn't seem to have a choice in the matter.

Then in the same whirlwind that she came, Ran was gone. Leaving Makoto and his parents staring after her and wondering if what just happened was real. Makoto could tell that his parents were too stunned to speak, so he tried to break the ice himself by repeating what he'd said earlier.

“Hayato really does seem like a nice guy,” he offered, “I haven't seen too much of him recently, but if you remember, I used to be his swim coach and he's come a long way since then. Ran definitely helped him out of his shell.”

The Hayato that Makoto had known all those years ago was an extremely shy boy, almost too scared to talk to the other kids in his swim class. Back then, the only person who Hayato would open up to was Kisumi...

...Oh man, Kisumi. It'd been years. Makoto had to stop himself from wondering if Kisumi would be at the engagement party. It was Hayato he was thinking about right now. Not Kisumi. There'd potentially be time for Kisumi later.

But yes, back on track. Makoto hadn't seen much of Hayato after he'd stopped coaching that swim class. Then years later, Ran introduced Makoto to her new boyfriend and there was Hayato. He was almost like a completely different person. The shyness of his childhood had been washed away, replaced by someone who could almost be seen as Ran's partner in crime. Since Ren had always been the much more hesitant and well-behaved one out of the twins, it did Ran good to have someone she could let loose with, Makoto reckoned, and the marked difference in Hayato's confidence was nothing to sniff at either.

To Makoto, they seemed like a good match. But perhaps not so much to his parents, who'd hoped that Ran would find someone who'd calm down her rebellious streak instead of encourage it.

“They definitely do seem to enjoy each other's company,” his dad said. It was a carefully-worded reply.

“And maybe in time they'll both settle down. They're still young, everyone's a little wild when they're young,” Makoto encouraged.

“Yes. Even you were in the end,” agreed his dad.

It was a dig that Makoto struggled to ignore. But he had to for the sake of keeping the peace. His parents were both good people who wanted what was best for their children. It was just that they had very traditional ideas about what was best. Not only that, but Ran and Hayato's engagement might remind them of... past mistakes that Makoto had made. At least he assumed that was what his dad was referring to.

“And I turned out all right,” Makoto offered, trying to laugh it off.

His mum smiled. It was a warm smile, the one that people told Makoto he'd inherited from her. And as much as Makoto knew that she had her doubts as well, it reassured him.

“A teacher is a highly respected career, Makoto,” she said, “We're so proud of you. We're proud of all our kids. We just... didn't expect for Ran to take the next big step in her life so quickly.”

“She never was one to wait around,” said Makoto, “Let's just see how it goes. Ran's going to need us there to support her.”

“Well, she can always count on us for that,” his dad concluded.

Makoto hoped that would be the case.

***

Although the venue was small, there were many people packed inside of it. Ran must have told everyone she knew to turn up early, because it wasn't even seven yet and they could hardly get moved. Makoto could feel the tension rising from his parents, but thankfully he now had Haru with him to help keep them calm.

The four of them edged around the venue until they found a free table near the bar and dived on it before anyone else could take it. Makoto smiled apologetically to a pair of girls who'd just missed out on getting it, but they just shrugged and went to look for somewhere else.

“There certainly are a lot of people here. Who knew that Ran was so popular?” his mum said, with an attempt at a chuckle, “She doesn't get being a social butterfly from us.”

“Makoto is popular as well,” Haru pointed out, though perhaps now wasn't the time for it.

“Thanks Haru, I just... try my best,” said Makoto. He didn't want to get drawn into a conversation like that though, so he glanced off towards the bar; “Why don't I go get us some drinks while you guys watch the table? I shouldn't be a sec.”

He got up again and made his way through the crowd as best he could, sure that he'd know all three of their regular drinks orders enough to get them what they wanted. Haru had been with them for so long that he was almost part of the family by now, especially in the total absence of Haru's own parents. Makoto also knew his parents quietly wished that Haru and him had gotten together, if Makoto was going to get together with anyone. The two of them had come close a few times, but it just hadn't worked out that way. They were perhaps the most important people in each other's lives, but they knew that they weren't what each other wanted romantically any more.

Though honestly, Makoto wasn't sure what he wanted romantically any more...

It took him longer to get to the bar than he expected, but he managed to tell the bartender their orders and pay, before climbing up on a stool to wait. It looked as if Makoto was far from first in line to get his drinks, so he probably wouldn't get back to the table as fast as he'd said.

“Makoto? Oh wow! I had no idea you were back in town. Pretty wild about the engagement, huh?”

Makoto didn't need to look to guess who that voice belonged to. Kisumi Shigino, Hayato's older brother. He sounded the same as he had done all those years ago. And as Makoto caught sight of him, he saw that Kisumi was even just as pink as he remembered as well. Though now it had spread from more than just his hair to his nails and the open shirt that he was wearing as well. Even his eyeshadow had traces of pink glitter. He looked like he wasn't shy about his appearance. Which was appropriate, because the Kisumi that Makoto remembered was hardly shy about anything. Makoto was glad that it looked like he hadn't changed.

“Yeah, I just got back this afternoon and Ran turned up with her news,” Makoto replied, “Then she left just as quickly. Was Hayato like that when he told you?”

Makoto patted the stool next to him before he'd realised what he was doing. Kisumi took him up on the offer, climbing onto the stool and calling an order at the increasingly stressed-looking bartender, before he turned back to Makoto.

“Nah, Hayato was the other way around – I almost couldn't get him to leave! He wanted to tell me every little detail of how the proposal went. In the end I had to give him a prod out the door so that he'd make it here in time to help Ran set up,” said Kisumi.

“Of course, I forgot that you two live together,” Makoto said, “You'll have to forgive me, I've been out of the loop for so long. Actually, maybe you're the right person to ask, since you've been around for a lot of their relationship. Are they really that serious? Even my parents were shocked that they'd gotten engaged.”

“Man, I wish I knew the answer to that one myself,” chuckled Kisumi, “Those two are a riddle wrapped in an enigma or whatever it is that people say. When I asked them where this engagement came from all of a sudden, they just said tax evasion and burst out laughing. You can never tell if they're being serious or not. But they make each other happy and that's what matters.”

“I guess so,” Makoto replied, “Just so long as they're not rushing into it. The last thing I want is for them to get hurt later.”

“They'll be fine. Even if it doesn't work out, it isn't the end of the world,” Kisumi dismissed.

Part of Makoto couldn't understand how Kisumi could be so casual about it all. But as Makoto thought this, he realised that he sounded just like his parents. Maybe he was getting like them as he got older... Kisumi clearly just had a different world view to him and maybe both Ran and Hayato did as well. That wasn't a bad thing. Just that Makoto personally felt marriage was a serious commitment that shouldn't be walked into lightly.

No... No. That wasn't fair. He shouldn't assume that the two of them were walking into it lightly.

“Hey, looks like your drinks are here,” Kisumi said, cutting into Makoto's thoughts.

“Oh? Ah, thank you,” said Makoto. He nodded at the bartender as he took the tray with their four drinks on and then looked back at Kisumi; “Why don't you come join us at our table? We'll probably be seeing a lot more of each other once all of this kicks off, so might as well make an early start, right?”

“Sounds good to me,” Kisumi replied, “I'll be over when I've got my drink.”

With that decided, Makoto headed back off into the crowd. It took him a few minutes to squeeze around everyone without upsetting the tray, but somehow he managed to make it back to the table with their drinks unharmed.

“Here you go,” he said, as he set the tray down, “Hope I got all of your orders right. Hey, and I... ran into Kisumi at the bar. He'll be over to join us soon.”

“Kisumi...” his dad said, pointedly.

“Yes, Hayato's brother, Kisumi,” Makoto replied, for once being just as sharp, “If Hayato and Ran are getting married, then we can't just ignore him.”

“No one said anything about that, dear,” assured his mother.

Though they all knew that those unspoken words didn't need to be said. Kisumi had been the catalyst that forced Makoto's family to realise that Makoto wasn't a perfect person. But that was years ago... Makoto had moved on since then and surely Kisumi had done as well.

“It'll be good to catch up with him,” Haru said.

Makoto felt a wave of relief to hear that. Once upon a time, Haru had been difficult about Kisumi, but when Makoto's fling with Kisumi had come to light, Haru surprised them both by completely taking their side. He'd stood up to everyone who got on their case and it seemed as if that loyalty had carried through to today.

“Let's just hope he's settled down a bit,” his mother said, trying to sound blameless in that statement.

But the Kisumi who joined them at the table clearly hadn't settled down. He sandwiched himself between Makoto and Haru, slinging an arm around each of their shoulders and grinning warmly across the table.

“Hey, good to see you all!” Kisumi said, “I just saw the happy couple before I got over here, but they seemed pretty busy. It's not easy being popular, is it? I'm sure they'll make plenty of time for us once the party's over though. Hayato could barely stop talking about their ideas for the wedding.”

“I'm glad to hear that they've got plans. Ran left us without much detail,” said Makoto's dad.

“That's just her way though,” added his mother.

“Yeah, she's a whirlwind all right,” Kisumi cheerfully agreed, “At first I didn't know how Hayato was going to keep up with her, but the two of them manage. Let's just hope they can afford all these wild theme ideas, huh?”

“It would depend on what they want, but we've had savings accounts for all of our children's future weddings since they were born,” Makoto's mother offered. Which made Makoto feel a wave of guilt, since he doubted that he'd ever be using that money. He didn't think getting married was something that was on the cards for him. But he kept quiet as his mother went on; “Do you... think your family are prepared for this, Kisumi?”

There was hesitation from Kisumi. It wasn't usual for him. He unhooked his arms from around Haru and Makoto, instead taking hold of his drink. And although he tried to smile, it wasn't one that came naturally.

“I'd like to say that they are, but... well, Hayato and myself don't have contact with our parents any more,” Kisumi admitted, “Our family was just them and our uncle in Tokyo anyway. We still visit our uncle sometimes, so he'll come, but we didn't see eye to eye with our parents. After Hayato left home, we never looked back. But don't worry, I've been saving! Hayato means the world to me and I'd never want to see him go without.”

If Makoto was worried that this confession would make his parents think even worse of Kisumi, his concerns were soon put to rest. Much to his surprise, his mother reached across the table and put her hand on top of Kisumi's.

“That's very good of you. But don't worry, neither of them will go without. We'll see to it,” she said.

“Less family on your part just means less guests to prepare for,” Makoto's dad said, “Because from the looks of it, they're going to need plenty of room for all their friends.”

While this was going on, Haru caught Makoto's eye and nodded reassuringly. His family were lowering the wall they'd built up between themselves and the Shiginos. That could only be a good thing.

The rest of the evening went much better. Makoto even felt light now that he knew the tension had lifted a notch. He allowed himself a few drinks, though he was sensible about it, stopping once he could feel himself getting too giggly. Both Ran and Hayato did make it over to the table a bunch of times, but they were always quickly dragged away again. Tonight wasn't the right time for making wedding plans anyway, Makoto decided, so he didn't mind that he couldn't see them a lot. Eventually Ren joined their table as well, having finally made a break from the grasp of helping Ran with the party.

“Maybe we could call it a night early,” Ren suggested, ducking down behind their dad as Ran wandered past, probably looking for him.

“It has been a long day,” their mother agreed.

With that, their little group got up from the table, chairs scraping behind them as they did. They caught Ran on the way out, saying that they'd talk more tomorrow and that they hoped the rest of the party went well. After that it was out into the crisp, night air, which felt refreshing after the stifling warmth of the bar.

“Nothing beats Iwatobi...” Makoto said, with a wistful sigh, “I can't wait head out for a walk around town tomorrow.”

“Why wait for tomorrow? You could always do it now,” Kisumi said, having left the party with them, “My place is off over that way. It's a nice walk, especially when the night's as clear as this.”

Makoto looked in the direction that Kisumi was pointing. Even after living in Tokyo for years, Makoto knew this town like the back of his hand. Kisumi didn't used to live in Iwatobi, but it had been a long time and Makoto was quickly learning that a lot had changed since they'd last seen each other. Maybe it was the drink, maybe it was the good spirits in general, but somehow heading out for a walk with an old friend felt like the best idea in the world right now.

“Sure, I'll take you up on that,” said Makoto, “Want to join us, Haru?”

“No,” Haru replied, blunt and to the point, “I'll see you both tomorrow.”

Now that Makoto was paying attention, he could tell that Haru was looking tired. Haru generally got sleepy after he'd had a few drinks. It was probably best that he went back home with Makoto's family to sleep it off.

“Guess it's just us then,” Makoto chimed, flashing Kisumi a smile. Then he turned back to his family, ignoring how nervous they looked at that prospect, and said, “Don't worry about me. It'll be nice to stretch my legs after being sat down too long and you'll know where I am.”

“Just... take care, son,” said his dad.

“I always do,” Makoto hummed.

The decision having been made, both groups head off their separate ways. As Makoto and Kisumi walked, they passed a few people hanging around the streets, most of them looking like they'd been at the party as well, but it was generally peaceful. Iwatobi was a sleepy town, especially compared to the bustle of Tokyo. And while Makoto wasn't sure if he could come back here for good, a night like tonight reminded him why he missed it so much.

“Do you think your parents are really okay with it?” asked Kisumi, once they'd walked a few blocks away.

“Hard to say, honestly,” Makoto confessed, “They love Ran and they want to be supportive, but if it was down to them, she probably wouldn't get married until she was in her thirties.”

“I can't see Ran waiting until then. She does everything fast,” said Kisumi, “And she's easily the most competitive person I've ever met, too. If she can turn this wedding into a challenge somehow, then she will do.”

“Ain't that the truth?” Makoto chuckled. It seemed that Kisumi had got the right impression about Ran, so she must have been around the Shigino brothers for a while. That made Makoto feel a bit less like Ran and Hayato were hurrying into this on a whim; “...But let's not talk about that any more. Soon enough we probably won't be talking about much else.”

“Yeah, you're right,” agreed Kisumi, “Besides, the two of us have a lot of catching up to do. How's life in Tokyo treating you?”

“Busy, most days. But not even in an interesting way. I get up, go to work, come home, plan for work the next day, fuss about the house, go to bed, cycle repeats,” Makoto said, “I bet that Kisumi Shigino has a much more colourful life.”

There were times – many times, honestly – when Makoto had found himself wondering what became of that bubbly pink boy from Sano. He could see Kisumi working as a stylist or a designer or something else that would be as adventurous and bright as he was.

“I'd like to say yes, but being a real estate agent is pretty dull as well,” Kisumi said.

“A... real estate agent?” echoed Makoto. That hadn't cropped up even once in all of the fantasy jobs he'd imagined Kisumi having. It seemed too... bland.

“Yeah, that's just life for you,” Kisumi replied, “You never end up where you think. But I like being able to help people find the right homes for them. It's a good feeling when it goes well. If you ever want to get somewhere back in Iwatobi, then you should look me up.”

“I'd definitely look you up,” said Makoto. Then he realised how bad that sounded (it must have been the drink) and added, “I mean... for a house, haha...”

“Don't worry, I knew what you meant,” teased Kisumi.

Did he know though? Did Makoto even know what Makoto had meant? Maybe there was part of him that had meant... something else. But would Kisumi even be interested these days? Because Kisumi might be as bold as ever, but that didn't mean that Makoto was. He was just plain old Makoto.

And yet... he'd been plain old Makoto back when Kisumi had developed feelings for him the first time as well.

“This is my stop,” said Kisumi, as the two of them arrived at a small, but nice looking bungalow half way up the street they'd been walking through, “Do you... want to come in?”

“You know what? I think I will,” Makoto replied.

He hadn't been gone that long and he doubted that his parents would mind losing him for a few more hours. So the two of them walked through together, with Makoto admiring the place as they went in. The house was tidy enough, but you could tell that it was lived in. There were traces of Ran were littered about all over as well, so Makoto guessed that she must spend half her life here.

“I'm sorry that she just... ditches her stuff,” Makoto said, as they walked past a jacket draped over a chair. He knew it belonged to Ran.

“It's fine! I think she's gradually trying to move in,” said Kisumi, “Maybe she will one day. Those two are going to want a place to themselves once they get married.”

“What about you?” Makoto asked, “Are you seeing anyone right now who you could maybe move in with someday if they do want this house?”

“Nah, not been seeing anyone for a while. But don't worry about me. In my line of work I'd never struggle to find good places if I was looking for somewhere,” Kisumi said.

Makoto tried to ignore the part of him that perked up when he heard that Kisumi wasn't seeing anyone right now.

“If I ever come back to Iwatobi, we could be room mates,” he suggested.

Kisumi smirked; “Your parents wouldn't like that.”

“They don't like a lot of things,” Makoto dismissed, with a bat of his hand. The alcohol was making him bolder; “Besides, just because we'd be living together, it wouldn't mean anything else. That'd be inappropriate.”

“Inappropriate didn't stop us the first time,” Kisumi purred.

And oh man, it was a purr. Makoto needed a second to register it, but in that moment Kisumi sounded a lot like he had done on those nights all those years ago. The nights when Makoto stopped being the perfect boy everyone wanted him to be and started being... the Makoto who... who did exactly what he wanted with Kisumi Shigino.

“Can I... um, do you have anything to drink? Just a glass of water would be fine,” Makoto said. Water would help clear his head.

“Yeah, I'll just go grab some from the kitchen,” said Kisumi. He gestured to the sofa; “Take a seat, I won't be a sec.”

With that, he headed through to what Makoto assumed must be the kitchen. So Makoto sat down, his hands on his knees, looking as sensible as he could manage until Kisumi came back. Maybe if he started thinking like a sensible person, it'd filter through and become true. But as Kisumi joined him on the sofa, it instantly became much harder to think like a sensible person.

“Here you go,” Kisumi said, passing him a glass of water. There was even ice in it. Kisumi just thought of everything.

“Thanks,” Makoto replied, taking a sip.

He realised that he wasn't sure what else to say. They could go back to talking about Ran and Hayato, but then they'd been on that topic all night. Both of them had implied that there wasn't much interesting to talk about concerning their everyday lives either. Which left them just to talk about... them? Makoto wasn't sure he was ready for that...

“I've missed you, you know?” Makoto heard himself say, “I mean, I've missed everyone, but I've thought about you a lot.”

“That makes two of us,” Kisumi replied, looking down into his own glass in a way that almost looked wistful, “Of course Ran would tell me how you were doing and I see Haru about a lot, so we'd sometimes talk about you as well. But hearing about you isn't the same as actually seeing you.”

“I'm not that impressive,” Makoto snorted.

“You're more impressive than you know,” assured Kisumi.

There it was again. That voice. The voice that Kisumi used only when talking about him. Except maybe not... Makoto wasn't the only person who Kisumi had ever been with. He probably used that voice when talking about others as well. Regardless, in that moment he was using it for Makoto... even now. Did Kisumi... still feel the same about him?

Makoto swallowed thickly; “I'm nothing compared to you...”

“Oh, I wouldn't say so,” said Kisumi, “But I feel like this is something that we won't get the other to agree on anyway. So maybe we should just leave it on each of us thinking the other is amazing.”

“Can we leave it on that?” asked Makoto. It seemed like something that was, um... hard to leave.

Kisumi shrugged; “We have to, don't we?”

“I mean... no one said that we have to,” Makoto replied, “Right now, when it's just the two of us... no one else is saying anything.”

What was he saying? This was a bad idea. But it felt so much like it... wasn't.

“The two of us...” mused Kisumi, “Oh man, I've thought so much about what we could do if it was just the two of us. Guess I'm still just as bad as you remember.”

Makoto's eyes narrowed. He let himself grin in a way that he hadn't for far too long.

“God, I hope you are,” he whispered.

***

The next morning found Makoto curled up next to Kisumi in his bed, with the blanket hanging off the side, leaving evidence of what they'd done very much exposed. Makoto turned his head to look at Kisumi, who was peaceful as he slept. Kisumi looked older now, they both did, but his calming expression was just the same as Makoto remembered it being the last time he'd watched him sleep.

There... shouldn't have been a this time, but Makoto realised that he couldn't bring himself to feel bad about it. At least not right now. Maybe later, once Ran and Hayato got back...

...Wait. Ran and Hayato!

Had they come back here after the party last night? The bottom dropped out of Makoto's stomach. Ran was aware of Makoto's history with Kisumi, because it seemed like everyone was, but Makoto didn't want her to think that he was trying to jeopardise her current relationship with Hayato by starting something with Kisumi again. He'd never do that. His sister's happiness would always come first.

As that panic hit him, Makoto reached over to lightly nudge Kisumi.

“Hey... Kisumi? Wake up...” he hissed, “I don't know if the other two are back... Help...”

Kisumi made a murmuring noise as he willed himself awake. His eye fluttered open in a way that looked adorable, but Makoto tried not to focus on that right now. He needed to not think about Kisumi being gorgeous, dammit.

“...They... might be...?” Kisumi yawned, “You can always... go check...”

His eyes drifted shut again. Makoto kind of wiped him out last night. Whoops.

“Yeah, I'll... I'll go have a look,” said Makoto, gently lifting Kisumi's arm off him and pulling himself up, “Be back soon, okay?”

But Makoto had a feeling that Kisumi was already sound asleep once more and hadn't heard a word of that. So he got off the bed and quietly pulled his clothes back on, before he headed through to the living room. Their empty glasses were still sat on the table, but now he saw that a coffee mug had joined them. A sure sign that they weren't alone in the house.

Hayato sitting on the sofa was another sign that they weren't alone. Oh no...

“Heeey, Hayato,” Makoto said, trying to sound as casual as possible, “Congratulations on the engagement! Sorry we didn't get to talk much at the party, but it looked like you were busy.”

“Yeah, everyone wanted to know how it happened,” Hayato replied, “I love Ran, but I'm already getting kind of sick of telling the proposal story to people.” He picked the mug up off the table and took a sip, then without hesitation, he asked, “...So you were in my brother's room?”

“It's not what it sounds like,” Makoto hurriedly insisted.

“I'm an adult, Makoto. You don't have to play dumb with me. Besides, I know Kisumi better than anyone. It is what it sounds like,” said Hayato.

“Okay, fine... it is. It was. But it was just because we both got tipsy and were reminiscing about old times,” replied Makoto, “I promise it's not the start of anything. We wouldn't do that to you and Ran.”

“It wouldn't hurt us if you did,” Hayato replied, with a shrug, “But I'm not going to press whatever you guys were up to. I've got enough on my plate right now.”

“I bet you do,” Makoto agreed.

He regarded Hayato. Long changed from the boy who Makoto once taught how to swim. He was almost as tall as Kisumi now and even more slender. His hair was wavy and the ginger had faded a little from when he was a kid. Ran had told him that Hayato's personality was difficult, but that just made her like him even more. Hayato and Ran were an odd couple of ducks. Perhaps that was why they worked.

“So... the engagement?” offered Makoto, taking a seat on one of the chairs now that he had nothing to hide from Hayato, “It sure took my parents by surprise. Not that it's a bad thing, but what brought it on so suddenly?”

“Tax benefits,” Hayato replied.

“Kisumi said it was tax evasion,” said Makoto.

“Is that what Ran decided? Probably both then. I'll check with her later,” Hayato said.

“Wait... is she here?” Makoto asked.

The smirk that Hayato gave him was wicked.

“Yeah, she's through in the kitchen. Good luck explaining what you're doing here to her,” he said.

“I should... probably go see her,” Makoto said, with a sigh.

He pulled himself back up from the chair that he'd only just sat down on and walked through to the kitchen. Just as Hayato had said, there was Ran, frying eggs in a pan as if she lived here. Though from the looks of it, she almost did these days.

“Morning Ran...” Makoto mumbled, “Great party last night...”

“How would you know? You guys headed home before it got good and you smuggled Ren out with you as well,” Ran replied, flipping one of the eggs over, “He's much better at keeping a party running smoothly than we are. I needed him there, Makoto.”

“It looked like you just had him carrying drinks,” said Makoto.

“That's what I mean. He's good at that,” Ran dismissed, “But don't try to avoid the subject. I heard you talking to Toto in the living room. You and Kisumi again, huh? Mom and Dad are gonna be pissed.”

“They don't... have to know,” Makoto said, in a tone that made it clear he was practically begging her not to tell them, “It was just a one time thing...”

“Is it though?” Ran pressed.

“I... I think so,” said Makoto, “It wouldn't be fair if it wasn't... We're both different people with different lives. I'll be around more while you get ready for the wedding, but I do live in Tokyo at the end of the day.”

“I guess,” Ran replied, “Kisumi misses you a lot though, I can tell.” She shovelled the eggs onto some toast that was already waiting on a plate and then passed it across to Makoto; “Here. Take this through to him. He doesn't care much for eggs, but he'll eat them if they're from you.”

“But they're not from me...” mumbled Makoto.

“They are now,” chimed Ran.

And that was final. Knowing that there was no arguing with his sister, Makoto took the plate and headed back through to Kisumi's bedroom, where he was still flat out asleep. So Makoto eased himself back onto the bed and wafted the smell of the fried eggs towards him. That seemed to do the trick. Kisumi tossed his head about a couple of times, as if trying to resist waking up, but then inevitably opened his eyes and looked up at Makoto. He blinked a few times.

“Good... morning?” he offered.

“Good morning,” said Makoto, “Well, we already talked before, but I think you were still mostly asleep.”

“Wow... I don't remember at all,” Kisumi mumbled, pulling himself to sit up, “I must've been gone. You've still got it, Tachibana.”

Makoto's ears burned bright red to that. He shoved the plate towards Kisumi.

“H-here you go... Ran was making them and she thought you might be hungry, so... yeah,” he said.

“Aww, thanks. That's so kind of her,” Kisumi said, as he took the plate from Makoto and began to tuck into the eggs, “Make sure you get some breakfast as well though, okay?”

“Will do,” promised Makoto, “Also, they both seemed... not that bothered about what happened last night. They, uh, guessed that we'd been together pretty easily, but... they didn't seem to mind.”

“Why would they?” Kisumi said, with a mouthful of eggs and toast, “Not like we're hurting them.”

Makoto wished that he could agree with that so easily.

“I hope we're not. But Kisumi, they are starting a committed relationship together. If something was to happen between us then... I wouldn't want it backfiring and hurting them,” said Makoto. He had to be honest.

Kisumi reached a hand out and put it on top of Makoto's. He smiled at him reassuringly, but something about his expression still seemed a little sad. Which made Makoto realise that he felt a little sad as well.

“Don't worry, nothing will happen,” Kisumi assured, “Last night was just a one-time thing. I want what's best for the others just as much as you do. So let's agree to leave it at that.”

“Y-yeah... That sounds... like it'd be for the best,” agreed Makoto.

Yet despite the fact that he'd been the one to bring it up, Makoto somehow didn't feel so great about it.

***

The next time Makoto saw Kisumi was when he was back in Iwatobi a few weeks after the engagement party. He was going to be making regular trips over there now. Even though the commute would get expensive and they didn't technically need him for the planning, he wanted to be as involved as possible. His family meant a lot to him and this was important.

It turned out that his being around for the wedding plans might be a good thing as well. Because both Ran and Hayato had some pretty out-there ideas for themes, a lot of which didn't overlap with each other. It seemed that their responses to been torn between an early-2000s neon themed wedding like what Ran wanted and a zombie horror themed wedding like what Hayato wanted wasn't “We need to pick one” it was “Let's do both”. Which wasn't a great suggestion in terms of budget or his parents' sanity.

Makoto knew that Ran straight up wouldn't listen to either their parents or Ren gently trying to urge her onto a different path. And that was where Makoto came into it.

“It might be a bit much to expect of the guests,” he suggested, as they all sat around his parents' living room, “Finding zombie outfits is enough of an effort, but adding neon colours onto that as well? They'd all have to get custom outfits made and that just isn't fair.”

“We could split it down the middle?” Ran tried, “Half of them go neon and the other half go zombie.”

“Or maybe you could just... have a traditional wedding?” their mother cut in, her patience tested, “No one has to wear bright colours or fake blood. They could just wear nice suits and dresses?”

The glare Ran shot her was poisonous.

“I do think that doing both would be a bit much,” said Kisumi, “You want the theme to read clearly. So maybe you could just pick one or the other. Personally, I'd go with neon, but then I just like that pink.”

Ran beamed across at him for taking her side against his own brother.

“Neon gives me a headache...” grumbled Ren, who'd been dragged to more than a few dark clubs with that kind of lighting by Ran and Hayato over the years, “At least horror costumes are easy to find. Most party shops do them, especially if you plan it around Halloween.”

“If we do it right after Halloween we could get them on discount as well, so that's money saved,” said Hayato. It was obvious he wasn't as concerned about money as he was just trying to shoot down the “it's too expensive” line of argument.

“But being a zombie bride sounds so... ordinary,” whined Ran, who seemed to have a different idea of ordinary to everyone else.

“What if you, like, died at a rave?” Hayato said, “That way you could still do neon, but also be covered in fake blood. You could even carry a skull instead of a bouquet.”

“Oh my gosh, that would be amazing!” Ran gasped, she reached across to kiss Hayato, “You know exactly what I like, Toto!”

“You're not giving up a nice floral bouquet for a skull,” protested Makoto's mother, “I don't care if the flowers are all red and black with strobe lights in them, you are having a bouquet.”

“Fiiine... I'll just stick a skull in it somewhere,” said Ran, “But during the after party I'm totally gonna carry around one of those movie prop heads like I murdered someone.”

“Make it my head and I'll find one of those headless suits to match,” said Hayato.

They both looked positively ecstatic by this. Makoto's parents... not so much. All Makoto hoped was that there wouldn't be real heads rolling by the end of the wedding.

The discussion went on in a similar vein for the rest of the afternoon. Makoto did manage to talk Ran and Hayato down from some of their wilder ideas, but for the most part it was clear that the happy couple knew exactly what they wanted and they wouldn't be deterred. It was exhausting to deal with. By the time everyone went their own separate ways, Makoto was glad of a break.

“It might seem like a lot right now, but it'll be fun on the day,” Kisumi assured him, as the two of them headed out.

Makoto was staying at Haru's place this time, since the spare room he usually slept in at his parents' house was currently occupied by many wedding catalogues and magazines, as well as his mother's old wedding dress that she was determined to convince Ran to wear, though Ran wasn't having it.

“I don't doubt it'll be fun,” said Makoto, “I just doubt that my dad's going to get through it without bursting a blood vessel. But maybe that'll go so much with the theme that no one will notice if he does...”

“This isn't easy for your family, I can tell, but it's what the two of them want. And isn't that what's important at the end of the day?” Kisumi said.

“Yeah... Yeah, it is,” agreed Makoto. That much was certain. He looked out towards the beach and then back at Kisumi; “Hey, so... I've got a few hours before Haru gets back from work. If you're not too busy, do you fancy another walk?”

The last one they'd gone on might have ended a particular way, but Makoto knew that it wouldn't be the same this time.

“For you, my schedule's always free,” replied Kisumi.

With that decided, the two of them headed off towards the beach. Being near the ocean still wasn't the easiest for Makoto, but over the years he'd worked at it. Haru had been a big help. So now he could walk along the beach and push the nagging thoughts to the back of his head. It wasn't as if they were going out swimming today, so it'd be fine. Although it would be nice to see Kisumi swimming sometime...

They walked together across the beach, clear footprints left in the sand behind them as they did. People passed by, mostly dog walkers and families with kids, but no one bothered them. It felt peaceful. Just what they both needed after the stressful discussions of the wedding.

“At least they have the venue booked,” said Kisumi, seeming to guess that Makoto's mind was still on the whole thing, “How they're going to deck it out is just the details.”

“The big, expensive details...” Makoto replied, “I don't think I could get married, you know? All of this just sounds exhausting.”

“Damn, there go my dreams,” Kisumi teased, “Any chance you'd make an exception for me?”

“If we have the smallest wedding ever and don't tell my parents, then I'd consider it,” said Makoto, “Not because I'd be ashamed of marrying you, of course. Just that my family... w-well... after what happened...”

Kisumi waved his hand, quickly helping Makoto out of the hole he was digging himself into.

“It's fine, I was only joking anyway,” he said, “You don't have to beat about the bush with me, I know that your parents weren't happy about us the first time.”

“Everyone knows that...” Makoto sighed, “But, you know... I don't think they were fair on you? They acted as if you'd tempted me onto the path of sin, but I wasn't blameless in all of that either. It took both of us to do what we did. And I wanted to... I wanted to be with you.”

Makoto felt a hand on his shoulder. He realised that it was Kisumi's. As he looked over, Kisumi gave him a warm smile.

“I appreciate you sticking up for me,” he said, “Though I think that they blame you more than you realise. Maybe not outright, but they make you feel bad about it. I can tell.”

“It's only because Ran and Hayato have put it back on their minds,” reasoned Makoto, “They're not like that all the time, I swear.”

“Yet they do make you feel like you need to be the perfect son all the time. Even now that you're an adult,” said Kisumi.

Makoto opened his mouth to reply. Then he realised that he had nothing to counter that with and closed it again. Kisumi was right.

“It's not my business at the end of the day, so tell me where to go if you want to, but I remember back when they first found out, that you told me you were glad they'd finally have to accept that you weren't perfect,” said Kisumi, “Do you still feel that way now ...or are you constantly trying to win back their approval?”

“We've all changed...” Makoto muttered, stubbornly.

“I know that,” agreed Kisumi, “But just ask yourself, if you did get them to think you're their perfect son again, would that make you happy? Because it seemed to me like you were trying to get away from it back then.”

The tide lapped across their feet, the seagulls cried as they flew overhead... and Makoto had no answers for Kisumi.

***

After that trip, Makoto avoided going back to Iwatobi for a while. He had his own life, after all. Perhaps the wedding plans and everyone who came with them threatened to draw him too much back into Iwatobi, but Tokyo was his home now. Even if... he didn't know as many people here as he did back in Iwatobi. Not really know them, anyway. Sure, he got along with the rest of the staff at the school he worked in and there were a few people living in his apartment block who would say hello. But he didn't have any close friends. Not the sort who he'd hang out with.

He'd always reasoned with himself that this was because he was an adult now and hanging out just wasn't the sort of thing that adults did. At least not ones like Makoto. But then again, maybe adults like Makoto were just boring.

What did Makoto want his parents to think of him, if not that he was perfect? Surely there had to be some middle ground. He wanted to be the good son who they'd be proud of, yes, but he also wanted to be able to be... just a person who made choices without having to worry what they'd think of him for those choices. It didn't seem like too much to ask for.

But maybe there wasn't even a problem at all. Just because Kisumi had said there was, didn't mean that it was true. That was just Kisumi's perspective.

Makoto had been thinking about Kisumi a lot lately as well. Was he knee-deep in helping plan for the wedding right now? He probably was. As Hayato's only family beyond a distant uncle, Kisumi had a lot of weight on his shoulders. He also probably had Makoto's parents expectations on his shoulders as well. They seemed to be getting along better last time though. So perhaps Makoto was just worrying about nothing.

Even if he was, those worries were enough to keep him out of the way, staying in Tokyo up until he was demanded to come back to Iwatobi. Though this time it wasn't by either his parents or Ran.

“I know that you can't just drop your job, but it's getting unmanageable here,” an exasperated sounding Ren told him over the phone, “The closer we get to the wedding, the more everyone tries to chip in, but they're not helping. The invitations have been sent out now, which includes all of your friends as well, and they're proving to be the difficult ones. Rei and Gou are both trying to organise everything, Rin has flown back from Australia weeks too early and he keeps hanging around, trying to find something to do, Sousuke... isn't actually doing anything wrong, but his glare terrifies me and... and Nagisa keeps insisting that he's going to DJ the whole wedding. We've already hired a DJ for the reception! A-and I don't think that Ran wants to be walking down the aisle to... to... I don't know, Darude by Sandstorm or something like that! ...Actually no, that's probably exactly what Ran wants. But it doesn't mean it should happen!”

“Ren, just take a few deep breaths and count to ten,” said Makoto, “I promise I'll be over by the weekend and see if I can't settle them down.”

There was a pause in which Makoto could tell that Ren was literally following his advice about counting to ten. Makoto knew where he stood with talking to Ren. They were both similar, except that Makoto tended to keep most of his panicking internal and Ren wasn't the best at that.

Once the moment had passed, Ren spoke up again.

“R-right... that sounds like a plan,” he said.

“Do you think you can hold them off until then?” Makoto checked.

“Guess we'll both find out,” said Ren.

***

He must have managed all right, because no one was dead by the time that Makoto got to Iwatobi that weekend. Although the Tachibana household was notably busier than it had been last time.

“I hope you don't want to get into your old room,” said his dad, as soon as Makoto had gotten through the front door, “Rei and Gou have taken it hostage to hold their wedding planning meetings in.”

“Guess I'm staying at Haru's again then,” said Makoto.

“Sousuke's already staying there,” his mother said, as she rushed past with a plate of sandwiches, “He got in from Tokyo a few days before you did, so he called first dibs.”

“Fine, then I guess I'll... find somewhere,” muttered Makoto. He struggled to keep the irritation out of his voice. It wasn't good form for Ren to call him back over here, only to leave him with nowhere to stay. He'd probably just book into a bed & breakfast for the weekend, assuming that the rest of his friends who lived elsewhere hadn't already fully booked them out... Once his mother had disappeared, he looked back at his dad and asked, “Are Ran and Hayato okay with Rei and Gou taking over the planning, by the way?”

“Oh, those two are fine with it,” his dad grumbled, “They're loving having two expert organisers helping to bring their ideas to life. It's the rest of us who are struggling.”

“And what exactly is the problem?” Makoto said.

“It's just... too much,” replied his dad, gesturing around the house. Even the hallway was filled with what looked more like Halloween decorations than wedding ones; “All we wanted was a nice, simple wedding and instead I'm up to my eyeballs in fake blood and glow sticks!”

“But that's what Ran wants,” insisted Makoto.

“Look... son, I didn't invite you back here just to argue with me,” his dad said, “I know that it's what she wants. But it's just... too much.”

“Is she too much?” Makoto asked, “Is that what you're saying?”

“Makoto, don't turn this around. You know that's not what I'm saying,” his dad said, “I love you all so much, but you can go too far.”

“You mean like I did?” snapped Makoto, “You can say it, Dad, I know that it's what you're thinking. Look, maybe all of this is a lot of stress for you. I'm sorry that Ran has big ideas and that my friends are overbearing and, yes, I'm sorry that what happened between Kisumi and me all those years ago put a strain on you, but maybe you could tolerate all of that just to keep your daughter happy. That doesn't seem like too much to ask!”

His dad stared at him with wide eyes; “Son, I don't know where this is coming from, but I don't like it. If you haven't come here to help, then you can just turn yourself around and get back on that train.”

“I have come here to help, Dad,” assured Makoto, “But it's Ran's wedding, so she's the one I'm going to help. I'm not... going to help you stop her.”

“Makoto, I never said I was going to stop her!” his dad wailed.

“You said you were going to tone her down!” shot Makoto, “I won't have it, Dad! I won't let you make her feel bad for doing what she wants!”

“Oh, so this definitely isn't about Ran, is it?” his dad retorted, “In that case, sometimes what you want is just wrong, Makoto. You were wrong to carry on with Kisumi all those years ago and you'd certainly be wrong to do it again now!”

“...Well, at least now I know that's how you feel.”

Makoto turned and headed back out of the door. He knew that Rei, Gou, his mother and whoever else was in the house had probably heard all of that, but right now he didn't care. He just wanted to go somewhere that he could blow off some steam and not be judged for being who he was.

***

Makoto was lying face down on the sofa, while Kisumi stroked his hair. Perhaps this was the last place that he should have come to, but it was the first place that his legs had taken him. Here he'd been free to rant about how unfair his parents were being and how he felt about it, knowing that Kisumi understood.

Ran and Hayato... also seemed to understand. Makoto would have preferred them not to be there while he was like this, but then that would have been hypocritical after everything he'd said to his dad before. The one blessing was that they both seemed proud of him for what he'd done.

“Never thought you had it in you, Makoto,” cheered Ran, “It's about time someone stood up to them.”

Makoto weakly lifted his head off the sofa; “...Couldn't it have been you?”

“It is me. It's me all the time. But because I do it so much, they don't see it as that. They just see it as me being difficult,” said Ran, “If it's you, they'll pay attention.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Makoto asked.

“From where I'm standing, a good thing,” Ran replied, “I only plan on having one wedding, assuming everything works out with me and Toto, which we both hope that it will. So I want it to go exactly how I have in mind. Sure, I'm asking for a lot, but I'm putting in a lot of work for it as well. It's not like I've just dumped all of this on them and let them take care of it.”

“Though speaking of that... we probably should get over there,” Hayato cut in.

“Guess you'll need to soothe things over,” sighed Makoto, “Sorry for putting more work on you guys...”

“This is progress, not more work,” Ran maintained, “But I do think that you should stay here and rest. Mind keeping him company, Kisumi?”

“My pleasure,” said Kisumi. Though it wasn't in the usual flirtatious tone that he reserved for teasing Makoto with. He sounded genuinely concerned. Makoto felt a pang of guilt for having made him worry.

“Good, well... we'll see you when we get back,” Hayato said.

With that, Ran and Hayato headed off. Makoto waited until he couldn't hear their footsteps crunching down the gravel path outside before he said anything else. He propped his head up on a cushion and looked over at Kisumi.

“I'm sorry for dropping in on you like this,” Makoto said, “And also adding more drama to the wedding situation. Ren's going to regret asking me to come along.”

“You don't have to be sorry, seriously. I feel like it needed to happen,” Kisumi replied, sitting himself down on the arm of the sofa, “Tension's been high this whole time. Your parents... kind of needed someone to tell them to step off. I'm just sorry it ended up being you.”

“At least it's not what happened between us causing them to get up in arms this time, though I'd be lying if I said that it didn't come up back there,” mumbled Makoto. Mostly because he was the one who'd brought it up. He was just hoping that... perhaps he was wrong about his dad still feeling ashamed of him over that. Yet it turned out that his dad was still ashamed...

“They need to let that go, to be honest,” said Kisumi, “It's been years. Yes, we were young and stupid, but we weren't actually hurting anyone. It wasn't as if either of us were seeing anyone else at the time, it just... wasn't what your parents wanted of you.”

“...Have you let it go?”

Makoto was asking honestly. He needed to know. Because he wasn't sure if he had and he needed to know if it was just him.

He noticed that Kisumi took a while to respond and he didn't look him in the eyes when he did.

“I'd like to say that I have, but...” Kisumi trailed off.

“But?” Makoto pressed.

“...When Hayato told me about the engagement, I knew it'd mean you'd come back to Iwatobi. I was glad for a chance to see you again,” said Kisumi.

Makoto rolled over to stare at the back of the sofa; “And yet the engagement is yet another reason why anything happening between us would be a bad idea.”

“You're right... I don't want you to be, but you are,” agreed Kisumi, “After that night when you came back here with me, I got my hopes up that it might be the start of something again. But that wouldn't be fair on anyone else. I love Hayato and Ran so much... they deserve us to be at our best for them.”

“They're not the ones with the problem though,” Makoto replied, “Not that it matters. We'd still end up causing problems for them and I can't do that. I'm glad that you... feel the same way about that...”

There was a long pause. Not enough to make Makoto doubt that Kisumi did feel the same way as he did about the matter, but enough that both of them could tell it wasn't all that simple.

“Can I join you...?” Kisumi asked.

They both knew that was a bad idea.

“Sure,” Makoto replied.

He rolled back over again, as Kisumi slipped off the arm of the sofa and onto the sofa itself. He curled up next to Makoto, so Makoto wrapped his arms around him and held him close. They didn't go any further than that, but holding Kisumi in itself felt like enough right now.

***

Makoto didn't go back to his parent's place that weekend. But much to his surprise, they came to see him. It came as a surprise to Kisumi as well. Apparently they'd never dropped by his house before.

“We didn't want you to go back to Tokyo without patching things over,” his mother said, as Kisumi passed her a mug of coffee.

“Did Ran put you up to this?” Makoto guessed.

“No, she's been... making herself as wild as ever since she got your approval to do so,” said his dad, “But that's as she should be. We were wrong to try and tone her down.”

“I'm glad that you see that now,” Makoto replied.

“That's not all though,” his mother said. She elbowed his dad and Makoto instantly knew that they'd practised this speech before coming over here. Which didn't mean that they weren't sincere, it just meant that they were... worried about how it was going to go. Honestly, so was Makoto.

“Y-yes, your mother's right,” mumbled his dad, “We were also wrong about you. Both you and Kisumi. We haven't treated either of you fairly and you deserve our apologies for that.”

Makoto was shocked. He'd had his back up, but hearing his dad apologise, about that of all things, left him not knowing what to say.

“I... I'm g-glad that you're... sorry?” Makoto tried, once he'd found his voice.

“I am sorry...” his dad said.

“We both are,” added his mother.

“Then... I forgive you,” said Makoto.

He couldn't speak for Kisumi, but it turned out that he didn't have to. Both of his parents turned to look at Kisumi, who smiled at them with that special, Kisumi smile where his eyes looked crinkly at the edges and it just... made Makoto feel good inside. Both the smile and knowing that Kisumi forgave his parents made him feel good.

“Don't worry, it's honestly fine,” said Kisumi, “It's big of you both to come over here and say sorry. That's more than my parents ever did. And I know that everything that happened, happened because you care about Makoto. That's the important part.”

“Yes, but we know you care about Makoto as well,” said his mother, “And that... Makoto cares about you.”

Kisumi and Makoto shared a look. It was a sad one, but they both knew what had to be.

“You're right... That's why we've both decided not to pursue anything further,” Kisumi told them, his heart just as heavy as Makoto's, “We wouldn't want to do anything that might put strain on Ran and Hayato's situation. They have to come first.”

“That's very noble of you,” said Makoto's mother, “But even if something was to happen, know that we wouldn't judge you, not now.”

“...Or we'd try our best not to,” his dad added. Makoto knew that his dad would struggle the hardest not to judge, but the fact that he was making an effort was important.

“Thank you... both of you,” said Makoto, “I appreciate it. But now it's my turn to say sorry. I came home this weekend to help out and now it's Sunday and I've been sulking here the whole time. If you'll still have me, I'd like to see if there's anything I can do before I go.”

“We'll always still have you, son” said his mother.

And that was that. After all the years of worrying and trying too hard to be something he wasn't, it seemed as if Makoto's troubles with his parents were finally on the way to being resolved.

***

After all of the time and effort that had gone into its planning, once the day of the wedding itself arrived it almost felt unreal. Somehow, the wedding had always seemed like a far off day, always in the distance, until it was upon them and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Not that anyone wanted to do anything about it, because they'd all poured so much effort into making sure it'd go perfectly. As Makoto looked around the hall, he felt that their efforts had paid off.

The neon and zombie themes were married together in perfect harmony, as Hayato and Ran soon would be as well. Or at least, whatever passed as perfect harmony for two wild souls like them. But as Ran walked down the aisle in her mother's wedding dress (which had been splattered with blood, lit up with bright glowing patches and artfully torn, apparently as a happy medium between what both Ran and her mother wanted), the way she looked at Hayato and the way Hayato looked at her, Makoto could tell that they were going to work out just fine. In the background, an instrumental Daft Punk song was playing, which was both calmer than Ren had been expecting and also still to Ran's tastes.

Hayato had his head on at the moment. But he'd be getting changed into the headless suit before the after party, to surprise the guests who weren't in the know. A stage-prop Hayato head was waiting in the back for Ran to collect before they headed off for the party.

The guests were decked out in their best attempts at the theme as well. All of Ran's immediate family, along with Makoto's friends, had been given outfits personally approved of by the Ran herself. Everyone else had just made do. Some people had turned up just in neon and some people had turned up just as zombies, but it still worked. Makoto noticed that Ren had stubbornly gone with a purely zombie outfit, despite Ran's warnings. Ren just... did not like neon. By contrast, sitting with a man who Makato assumed must have been his uncle, was Kisumi, whose suit was a flourish of neon pink. He... seriously pulled it off well.

But Makoto couldn't let himself get distracted by Kisumi, not after what the two of them had agreed. So he returned his attention to the alter, where Ran (skull-themed, glowstick bouquet in hand) had reached Hayato. The two of them looked upon each other and almost bumped heads as they tried to kiss, but a cough from Makoto's dad reminded them that it wasn't time yet. They had to get through the vows first.

Neither of them seemed to pay too much attention to all the details in the lengthy vow speech (and honestly Makoto would be lying if he said he did either), but when it came to time for both of them to say “I do”, Makoto could tell that they were both promising to love each other with all the trimmings for a long time. As they kissed, Ran lifted Hayato up off the ground, to the cheers of the crowd. Hayato wasn't particularly short, but Ran was a tall woman and he must've been light as a feather to her. Next to Makoto, Ren actually started sobbing into his hands. He must've been overwhelmed with happiness for the two of them. Makoto felt glad to see such positivity from his whole family, even his parents were holding each other and looking out at the sight in front of them with pride.

Once the ceremony was finished, it was off to the party venue. Which Makoto suspected that Ran and Hayato were more excited about than the wedding itself. They loved being hosts and being in control. Ran would point at people she knew at random and demand them to make a speech, though fortunately it turned out that everyone had a lot of good to say about her. Also fortunate was the fact that they'd hired out a catering service, which meant poor Ren wasn't stuck carrying drinks. Ren did have to put up with Nagisa having replaced the DJ they'd actually paid for, but Makoto personally reckoned that Nagisa did a better job anyway.

After a few drinks, most people were up on the dance floor and getting into the swing of things. Save for those who had camped out at the buffet table. You always got them.

Makoto had danced with anyone who asked. Which included Ran, his mother, Sousuke, Gou, Haru (Makoto had asked him) and Rei. But once the excitement was starting to settle down, the person who Makoto privately wanted to dance with the most came over.

“You look amazing,” Kisumi whispered, as they greeted each other.

“What, this? Just something I threw together,” Makoto teased.

“So... may I?” asked Kisumi.

Makoto held out his hand; “You may.”

The two of them swayed to a slow song, looking into each other's eyes and know that... this could be the last. Neither of them wanted it to be the last, but they had to be fair. They were adults now, with their own lives and paths that only crossed occasionally. But maybe... they would cross more in future. There'd be anniversaries that Ran and Hayato would undoubtedly throw more big parties for. There'd be family gatherings that Kisumi and Hayato would now be invited to. Makoto was glad of that. Those two deserved to be part of the celebrations as well. Makoto and Kisumi would see each other and they would always... look at each other, knowing what could have been. Maybe that was sad, but Makoto felt that it could be worse. It'd be worse never to see Kisumi at all.

And each time they met, maybe there'd be moment when they could hold each other like they were right now. They could dream... Makoto let out a small sigh and realised that his head was resting on Kisumi's shoulder, as they two of them swayed. He was sure when that had happened, but he found that he didn't want to move it.

“So what comes next for Kisumi Shigino?” he whispered into Kisumi's ear.

He saw Kisumi's mouth turn up in a particular smirk. Despite everything, that smirk made him feel good.

“...Life,” Kisumi answered, “A pretty busy one right now. Hayato and Ran are heading off for their honeymoon in Alaska tomorrow, because of course that's where they're going, so I'll be left alone in the house for a while. But it's going to get busy.”

“Busy?” Makoto prompted.

“Turns out they do want the house, so I'm kicking myself out,” Kisumi replied, as he swayed them both out of the way of Sousuke and Gou, who were barrelling across the dance floor together at top speed.

“You've got somewhere to go, right?” Makoto checked. From what Kisumi had told him about his job, Makoto assumed that'd be the case.

Kisumi winked at him; “My uncle's fixed me up with a nice place in Tokyo.”

Hearing that made Makoto feel a lot of things – surprise, elation, nerves, dread. All mingled together in a soup of emotions that must've shown on his face, because Kisumi was giggling at him. Makoto reddened with embarrassment.

“Maybe we'll run into each other...” Makoto mumbled. If he could help it, then they definitely would do.

“I hope so,” hummed Kisumi, “I don't know many people in Tokyo, so you'll have to show me around.”

“Honestly? I don't know many people in Tokyo either, but I'll be there for you when you need me,” promised Makoto.

The song ended. They broke apart, but didn't let go of each other's hands just yet.

“Will we be able to... stick to... what we agreed?” Kisumi asked, his eyes sad.

Makoto didn't know the answer to that. He didn't want to know the answer to that just yet. He didn't want to... lose the possibility of them.

“I guess we'll see,” he said.

...And then they finally broke away. Their hands parted. Makoto was called off to dance with another, as was Kisumi, and that seemed to always be the way. But it wasn't the end. They'd make time for each other again, even if neither of them could be sure when.

***

It was months after the wedding before Makoto encountered Kisumi in Tokyo. He'd been thinking about it, almost every day. Each time he walked out onto the streets, he wondered if he'd bump into Kisumi, like a scene from a romance movie. But that wasn't how it happened in the end.

Turned out Kisumi came to him.

He'd wondered who'd be calling on him in the evening, since Makoto rarely got visitors. But as he opened the door, he was faced with pink hair that was hidden behind a box of familiar items.

“Hey, Makoto,” Kisumi chimed, “I'd been back in Iwatobi and your folks told me to drop these off for you. They're slowly trying to force you to take all of your junk out of their house.”

“Kisumi! H-hey...!” Makoto stammered, stepping aside so that Kisumi could come through, “Thank you so much. Just dump the box down on the table there and I'll get you a coffee. Wow, I had no idea that I still had so much clutter at their place. Guess it's good that they've found someone who they can rope into shifting it for them.”

“That's me all right,” agreed Kisumi, as he put the box down, “They asked me if I wanted an excuse to visit you and you already know the answer.”

It seemed so bizarre. At one point his parents would've built a barricade to stop Kisumi from visiting Makoto and yet now here they were, recommending him to do exactly that. It made Makoto glad. He knew that his parents would see what a nice person Kisumi was if only they gave him a chance. Thankfully they're all good enough people to admit their mistakes. Makoto knew that for sure.

“I'd be glad for you to come around here any time you like,” said Makoto, “If you give me your new address, then I'll look you up sometime as well.”

“Aww, but my new place is a mess right now,” Kisumi protested, “It isn't nearly as clean as your apartment is.”

With that, he gestured around Makoto's living room, which was indeed very clean and well-dusted. It looked so orderly, almost to the point that you couldn't tell it was lived in. It looked... so together and... and boring.

“Maybe this place could do with a bit more mess...” Makoto whispered.

And life. And excitement. And all the things that Makoto hadn't been able to supply it with on his own, but when he looked at Kisumi, he knew that Kisumi could help him with.

“I don't hear that very often,” said Kisumi, “But then you are one of a kind, Makoto.”

“Hearing that from you is a surprise,” Makoto joked, “You're the most unique person I know.”

“Some would say I'm trying too hard,” Kisumi dismissed, with a bat of his hand. Makoto noted that his nail varnish was green today. It stood out against the pink.

Makoto walked over to him. He was supposed to be going to make coffee, but right now he just wanted to be here.

“I think you try, um, the perfect amount,” he said.

“Still a smooth talker, Tachibana,” Kisumi chuckled.

Makoto snorted. Then he put his arm around Kisumi's waist and pulled him close. Maybe his words weren't so smooth, but he knew that he could rely on his actions, at least where Kisumi was concerned. He rested his forehead against Kisumi's and looked deep into his eyes.

“Hope I'm not reading this wrong...” he purred.

With that, he noticed that Kisumi's cheeks were the ones to flush this time. They were suddenly even pinker than usual and it looked adorable. It did a lot to Makoto.

“You're always reading me right,” Kisumi assured.

And with that, along with a future that was as uncertain as they were, the two of them reached across to kiss each other. It was the start of something, however long it would last for. The two of them always found the start of something with each other.


End file.
